Dimensional Descent

When Leonel walked out of his residence, a shadow of swirling dark energies appeared over his shoulder. Little Blackstar's body was almost a meter long by this point, but he still insisted on acting like he was still an infant. Even so, his antics brought a smile to Leonel's face as he patted the little guy on the head.

"How about it? Did it help you out?"

"Yip!"

Leonel smiled. Little Blackstar still couldn't and probably would never be able to speak human language, but that didn't mean that the little guy hadn't matured. Leonel could sense his thoughts becoming more complex and what he wanted to express was likewise much more complex.

The little guy was bragging again, but Leonel knew the truth. Little Blackstar hadn't made much progress at all. Though, he had already expected this.

Little Blackstar had ignored the corpse of the Shadow Tail and had instead focused on the Void Beast carcass against Leonel's recommendations. The little guy wanted to take a large leap immediately rather than taking one step at a time as was only natural.

It seemed that Aina wasn't the only one consumed by wanting to keep up with Leonel. In the past, if one were comparing talents alone, Little Blackstar had thought that he was even beyond Leonel. After all, those days where they had first met, Little Blackstar had actually almost killed Leonel several times.

Of course, the little one hadn't really understood what he was doing back then, but the truth was still the same. If one had to power scale Leonel and Blackstar back then, the latter would have been far superior.

Since then, the reverse had become true.

way their relationship was formed, Leonel was technically the beast to Blackstar's master. They hadn't formed it

as Leonel got further and further away every day, and as his thoughts grew more complex, that sort of dissatisfaction he would feel and then lash out toward Little Tolly with had become a

take one step at a time when his rival had taken

Leonel smiled somewhat bitterly.

his state and hear his thoughts far clearer than he could do the reverse. Back then he was so pathetic that he couldn't even stop this troublemaker from turning

same now? Blackstar's mind might as well

have a feeling that I was far too hasty back then,

I stalled your progress as a result. Absorbing too much too early, instead of supplementing you, just buried what potential you had. That's my fault as your companion, but don't let my mistake be what keeps you anchored

want you to follow me for a lifetime, so do as I say and not

two beautiful marbles, blinked. His whiskers drooped a bit and

"Yip..."

Leonel smiled bitterly.

easier than humans, but time worked differently for them as well. Little Blackstar was an infant when Leonel met him, and even after experiencing a 20-plus year time dilation, he was still an infant. Little Blackstar might have to turn a century old before he could transition

he had been too hands

pumped Blackstar full of a bloodline that wasn't his own, causing the usual instincts Blackstar would have had toward his path forward,